subject: Who Fits On The Fitness Bandwagon? [print this page] Working long hours increases the risk of dying from heart disease. However, staying fit can eliminate that risk. According to a study published in the journal Heart, people working more than 45 hours a week had 2 times the risk of cardiovascular death as those working less than 40. Working extra hours stresses the cardiovascular system and boosts the nervous system, causing heart rate and blood pressure to rise. A fit body recovers faster, reducing physiological stress. Exercising 2-3 times a week for 30 minutes with heart rate at 50%-85% of maximum puts the fit in fitness.
In seniors a firm handshake and a brisk walking pace are signs of fitness. A study published in the British Medical Journal analyzed grip strength, walking speed, time getting up from a chair and balancing on one leg in people 70 and older not in nursing homes. Those with the weakest grip were 1.67 times more likely to die during the study as the strongest and those with the slowest walking pace had almost 3 times the risk of dying as the fastest. To be fit it's best to take life in stride and with a firm grip on it.
Fitness can't be judged by how jeans fit. A "Good Morning America" producer thought he had a 36-inch waist. However, after trying on several brands of jeans, he seemed slimmer until the jeans were taken to a tailor. Thirty-six inch Levis were actually 36.5 inches in the waist, Zara's were 36-37 inches, Gap's were 38 inches and Banana Republic's were 38.5 inches. Esquire Magazine, the first to investigate jean size, discovered 36-inch Dockers were 39 inches and Old Navy's were 41 inches. Instead of fitting their waists, it seems men's jeans are made to fit their egos.
Apparently Americans can't judge their own fitness. In a 2010 Harris Interactive/Health Day survey 2,418 adults were asked their height, weight and weight category. Thirty percent of those overweight thought they were normal weight and 70% of obese thought they were overweight. Of the morbidly obese, 60% thought they were obese and 39% thought they were only overweight. Regarding cause, 52% percent of overweight participants and 75% of obese and morbidly obese thought they didn't exercise enough. However, only 36% of overweight, 48% of obese and 27% of morbidly obese thought they ate too much. The majority thought exercise not food - was a "weightier" problem.
